1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device with a narrow frame structure and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a liquid crystal display device, a pair of substrates (hereinafter respectively referred to as a first substrate and a second substrate) which are disposed to face each other with liquid crystal interposed therebetween and a sealing material which is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate to seal the liquid crystal constitute an envelope. A region surrounded by the sealing material serves as a display region. The display region includes a number of pixels arranged in a matrix.
In the manufacture of the liquid crystal display device, a pair of so-called multi-piece substrates in which the display region is fabricated are bonded together by the sealing material and thereafter cut to be separated into a plurality of liquid crystal cells (corresponding to the envelopes).
In this case, the pair of multi-piece substrates are cut along substantially the center of a region where the sealing material is formed, that is, they are cut such that the sealing material is divided into right and left parts in adjacent liquid crystal cells. Therefore, the distance between the cut surface of the substrates and the display region can be reduced in each of the liquid crystal cells, which provides a liquid crystal display device with a narrow frame.
In the thus configured liquid crystal display device, side surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate have a portion which is configured of a cut surface formed by collectively cutting the first substrate and the second substrate along the portion where the sealing material is formed.
Examples of related art document of the invention include JP-A-2007-212667 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,630,050) and JP-A-2006-30439. JP-A-2007-212667 describes a liquid crystal display panel in which a weir is disposed in a forming region of a sealing material formed at a distance from a side surface of a substrate, and the so-called intrusion of liquid crystal is prevented by the weir. JP-A-2006-30439 describes the manufacture of a liquid crystal display device in which a pair of multi-piece substrates are bonded together via a sealing material, and the pair of multi-piece substrates are collectively cut along substantially the center of the sealing material. In the manufacture, a narrow resin layer is previously disposed at substantially the center of the sealing material, and the pair of multi-piece substrates are collectively cut along substantially the center of the resin layer. The resin layer in this case is formed in a state where the top thereof abuts on the other multi-piece substrate.